Type bar shifting mechanism for stenographic typewriters



Nov. 4, 1952 H. M. VON DUYKE 2,616,545

TYPE BAR SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR STENOGRAPHIC TYPEWRITERS Filed Oct. 18,194'? 4 Sheets-Sheet l s M F RI Bx L K S S C W R V R T S P B L SHIFTSHIFT M p T Q $2) Q3 \EQ 3) J IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY TYPE BAR SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR STENOGRAPHIC TYPEWRITERS FiledOct. 18, 1947 H. M. VON DUYKE Nov. 4, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Hart/3022!]! Vanfizyke BY adxam Nov. 4, 1952 H. M. VON DUYKE 2,616,545

TYPE BAR SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR STENOGRAPHIC TYPEWRITERS 4 Sheets-Sheet5 Filed Oct. 18, 1947 INVENTOR. fiazz'zkolzM Vbnfia lke ATTORNEY Nov. 4,1952 H. M. VON DUYKE 7 2,616,545

TYPE BAR SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR STENOGRAPHIC TYPEWRITERS Filed Oct. 18,1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 @MQW , ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 4, 1952 TYPE BARSHIFTING MECHANISM FOR STENOGRAPHIC TYPEWRITERS Harrison M. Von Duyke,Wilmington, Del., assignor to New Dictatype Company, Incorporated,Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application October 18,1947, Serial No. 780,607

This invention relates to type bar shifting mechanism for stenographictypewriters, and it relates more particularly to a typewriter of theusually made upon a strip of paper fed over a platen without anylongitudinal feed of the paper as in ordinary typewriting machines.

Also, in machines of this character the speed is largely dependent uponthe more or less natural arrangement of the operating keys, which are sodisposed and located as to permit the greatest possible number ofcombinations to be made at the same time. It has been found in practicethat the best arrangement comprises the provision of a plurality ofconsonant keys for each hand. and a separate set of vowel keyspositioned so as to be operated by the thumbs. The use of compositecharacters which are called dual letters, has also been found to beuseful in these machines.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide, in amachine of the character aforesaid, a novel key action mechanism soconstructed and arranged as to enable the operator to make the recordwith greater facility, and much less strain, than has heretofore beenpossible.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a machine of thecharacter aforesaid, improved mechanism for actuating the type barswhich will require less muscular effort on the part of the operator tosecure the proper impression of the type.

A further object of the invention is to permit the provision, in amachine of the character aforesaid, of improved mechanism whereby threetype bars may be selectively operated by two keys as, for example, theuse on each side of the machine of but two vowel keys to imprint threeseparate vowels as desired, the said vowel keys being preferablypositioned so as to be actuated by the thumbs of the operator.

A further object of the invention is to permit 2 Claims. (Cl. 197-74)connection with the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, in which:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view illustrating a preferred form ofarrangement of the keyboard of a machine of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of a stenographic typewriter embodying themain features of the present invention, certain of the parts beingomitted for the purpose of clarity;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 4 is a section taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2illustrating the arrangement of one of the consonant type bars and themechanism for actuating the same by its control key;

Fig. 5 is a section taken approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2illustrating the means for shifting the consonant type bars whereby asingle type bar may be selectively used for imprinting either one of twodififerent characters through the operation of the same control key;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but with parts in positions assumedwhen a set of consonant type bars is raised or shifted by the operationof the shift control key to bring the lower set of type faces intooperative position with respect to the platen for operation by thedesired type control key;

Fig. 7 is a section taken approximately on the line 11 of Fig. 2illustrating the arrangement of the vowel type bars and the operatingkeys therefor whereby the vowel type bars may be selectively operated;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevational view of certain of the parts for theselective actuation of the vowel type bars, the key levers being shownin section, and the point of view being indicated by the line 8-8 ofFig. 7;

the provision, in a machine of the character aforesaid, of improvedmeans for regulating the tension of the springs for returning the keysto their initial positions, as well as various other springs employed inthe machine.

The nature and characteristic features of the present invention will bemore readily understood from the following description, taken in Fig. 9is a perspective view of certain of the parts in separated relationship,further illustrating the arrangement of the vowel key levers and certainof the associated parts; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary elevational view of certain of the parts forregulating the tension of the key lever springs.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingsherein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications andchanges may be made in the structure disclosed without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Means for rotating the platen, over which the paper is fed, with a stepby step motion between V the type impressions, and a ribbon mechanismfor applying the ink for the type impressions, are shown respectively inmy pending applications for Letters Patent, Serial No. 752,215, filedJune 3, 1947, and now Patent No. 2,500,587, dated March 14, 1950, andSerial No. 747,608, filed May 13, 1947, and now Patent No. 2,508,780,dated May 23, 1950. However, it should be understood that the presentinvention is not limited for use with the several mechanismsspecifically shown and described in my aforesaid pending applications.

Referring to the drawings, in the particular embodiment of the presentinvention therein shown, the control keys are arranged preferably asshown in Fig. 1, there being eight keys pro vided for control by thefingers of the right hand, and eight keys for control by the fingers ofthe left hand. One key of each of the above sets is a shift key, but theother .keys of each set are preferably used for imprinting consonants ordual letter characters, as indicated in Fig. 1.

There are also provided two pairs of vowel keys, one pair beingcontrollable by the thumb of the right hand, and the other pair beingcontrollable by the thumb of the left hand, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth.

The vowel keys are connected to the vowel type bars so that each pair ofthe vowel keys con-- trols three separate type bars, the arrangementbeing such that either key of either pair may be actuated separately toimprint their respective type faces, or both keys of a pair may beactuated together to cause another and different type face to beimprinted.

As shown in the drawings the frame work of the machine may include sideplates 20 which may be connected to each other in any preferred manner.The consonant printing type bars 29 are preferably disposed verticallyand each set f consonant printing type bars 29 on each side of themachine is pivotally mounted on a transversely extending shaft 22. Eachshaft 22 is carried by a frame work 23 which, in effect, comprises alink at one'end of which the shaft 22 is supported and the other end ofwhich is pivotally mounted on a transversely extending shaft 24.

The keys 44 for controlling the consonant printing type bars are mountedon the forward ends of arms 25, of a series of modified bell cranklevers 26 which are pivoted on a transversely extending shaft 21. Eachof the bell crank levers 2B is connected by a link 28 to one of theconsonant printing type bars 29, said link 28 being pivotally connectedat one end to the type bar 29 intermediate the ends thereof, and at itsother end to the bell crank .lever 26 below the shaft 2'! upon whichsaid bell crank lever is pivotally mounted.

The bell crank lever '26 also has a downwardly extending arm portion.30., provided at its lower end with a hook 3| which is engaged by oneend of a coil spring 32. The other end of .coil spring 32 is connectedto the hook .portion 3.3 of a disclike member 34, which is rotativelymounted on a transversely extending shaft .35. Each of the disc-likemembers 34 is provided at one portion of its periphery with a pluralityof notches 35 which are engaged by one of the spring dents 31 of acomb-like member 38, which extends across the machine below thedisc-like members 34, there being provideda separate spring dent 31 foreach of the discs 34 whereby the same may be individually rotated todesired positions, thereby to adjust separately the tension of each coilspring 3.2 which serves to return its key lever to the initial position..A limiting member 39 preferably comprising a bar of compressed feltextends across the machine between the frame members, being sopositioned that the under face thereof will be contacted by the upperfaces of the arms 25 of the bell crank levers 26, upon the ends of whichthe control keys 44 are mounted.

Each of the consonant printing type bars 29 is provided with two typefaces preferably according to the layout as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings. Normally, the type bars 25 are in their lowermost positions asshown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, so that if either one of theconsonant printing keys of either set is depressed, the type face 4| atthe upper end of type bar 29 will normally be imprinted upon the paper(not shown) which passes over the platen 42. When, however, it isdesired to utilize the type faces 43 which are located at lower1ocations on the front of the type bars, the shift key 45 forcontrolling that set of consonants will be depressed, and thereby bringinto action the mechanism shown more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6 ofthe drawings, to raise the entire set of consonant printing type barsand to then imprint the desired type face or faces according to theconsonant type bars of the set which are depressed, eithersimultaneously with the shift key 45 controlling that set of type bars,or after said shift key is depressed.

The shift key 45 is mounted on the forwardly projecting arm 46 of a bellcrank lever 4'! which is also pivoted on the transverse shaft 2'! uponwhich the other bell crank levers 26, for controlling the consonantprinting type bars 29, are mounted. The lever 41 is also provided with adownwardly extending arm 48 having a hook portion 49 which is connectedby means of a coil spring 32 to a hook portion 33 of an adjusting disc34 mounted on the transverse shaft 35, also having peripheral notches 3Bengaged by a spring dent 31 of the transversely extending comb member38, hereinbefore referred to, for controlling the adjusting discs 34 forthe other levers.

The lower end of the lever arm 48 is pivotally connected as at 5|, toone end of a link 52, the other end of which is pivotally connected, asat 53, to a rocker member 54, which is pivotally mounted on a transverseshaft 55 which extends across the machine between the side plates 20thereof.

The rocker member '54 is also provided with a pin 55 which engages asuitably shaped notch 57 in a cam member 58. The cam member 58 ispivotally mounted on a transverse shaft 59 which extends across themachine between the side plates '20 of the frame thereof. The cam member58 is provided with a cam surface 60 which is engaged by a pin 61extending from an extension 62 of the link frame 23 which supports thetransverse shaft .22 upon which the -lower ends of the type bars29are'pivotally mounted.

The cam surface 60 is so shaped (see Figs. 5 and 6) that during-thetfirst portion of the motion of the cam member 58 'thelink frame 23will be raised a sufficient distance to "bring the lower set oftypefaces 43 into printing position, that is, in the horizontal planepassing through the axis of the platen, so that when one or more of thetype bars 29 is actuated by -its or their control keys, said typeface'or faces-will be imprinted upon the paper passingover the platen.

The cam surface .63 is also shaped so that after the typefaces 4311avebeen brought to their proper location for the printing operation, thepin will ride idly over the balance of the cam surface 60notwithstanding the further depression of the shift control key to anamount corresponding to '5 the normal depression of the type'bar controlkeys.

The shaft 22 upon which the lower ends of the type bars 29 are pivotallymounted extends outwardly beyond the side of the machine frame plates 25on that side and it hasconnected thereto the lower end of coil spring63, the upper end of which is secured to an adjustable arm 64 which issecured to the side plate 20' of the .machine frame. The spring 63serves as a counterbalance for the weight of the parts whereby theoperation of the shift key is made easier. I

The two pairs of levers for the operation of the six vowel type bars,and the associated mechanism, are preferably disposed between the twosets of consonant control keys and their associated mechanism. The sameis shown more particularly in Figs. '7 to 9 of the drawings, the keysbeing disposed forwardly of the keys for controlling the consonantprinting bars.

There are three vowel printing type bars Ill in each set, each beingpivotally mounted at its lower end on a transverse shaft 1 l, whichshaft is supported by a suitable frame work 12 having ears or lugs formounting the same on the transversely extending shafts 24 and 55,hereinbefore referred to.

The control levers for the operation of the vowel printing type bars arealso pivotally mounted on the transverse shaft 21 upon which the bellcrank levers for controlling the consonant printing type bar aremounted.

In each pair of the vowel controlling keys there is provided one bellcrank lever l3, having a horizontally extending arm upon the front endof which its control key 14 is mounted. The lever 13 has a downwardlyextending arm 15 having a pivot pin 15 by means of which a link 11 isconnected thereto. The link 11 is connected at its other end to thepivot 18 on the type bar Ill which it controls.

The lever 88 for the other control key 8i of the pair has an arm portion82 extending downwardly a further distance than the arm 15 of lever 13.The lower end of the downwardly extending arm 82 of lever 80 is providedwith a pivot 83 by means of which a lever 98 is connected thereto. Thislever 90 is preferably disposed between the arm 15 of lever 13, and thearm 82 of lever 80. The intermediate lever 59 is also provided with apivot 9| at a distance further downward from the shaft 21 than thepivots IS on the arms 15 and 82 of the key operated control levers. Theintermediate lever 90 is connected by a link 93, one end of which ismounted on the pivot 9|, and the other end of which is mounted on itspivot carried by the intermediate type bar of the set of three.

Each of the levers l3 and 80 is pivoted on the transverse shaft 21, andthe type bars respectively connected to said levers are directlycontrolled by the key which i mounted at the front end of its lever. Theintermediate lever 90, however, has an aperture 94 at its upper endwhereby said upper end of said lever is ordinarily free to move to alimited extent with respect to said shaft 21.

A. pivot pin 95 also connects lever arm and the intermediate lever 90.The lever 90 is provided with a hook portion ilii at its lower end towhich one end of the mil spring 32 is connected. The other end of thecoil spring 32 is connected to the hook portion 33 of an adjusting disc34 mounted on the transverse shaft 35.

Likewise, the downwardly extending arm 15 of lever 13 is provided with ahook portion 19 for the attachment thereto of a coil spring 32 for re- 6turningthe control key 14 to the initial position.

The operation of the novel portions of the present invention may now beexplained. When it is desired to imprint any one of the consonant ordual letter characters at the upper end of a particular type bar, it isnecessary merely to depress the proper control key 44 whereby thedownwardly extending arm 33 of the bell crank lever 26 upon which saidcontrol key is mounted will be swung forwardly, and through the actionof the link 28, the character at the upper end of the type bar 29 willbe pushed forwardly against the ribbon and paper (not shown) which areinterposed between the type and'face of platen 42. This will be readilyapparent from a consideration of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 of thedrawings.

When, however, it is necessary to imprint one or more of the lowercharacters 43 of a set on either side of the machine, it is necessary todepress the shift key 45 on that side, and as the control key 44 forcausing the type bar to be moved forwardly to printing position. issimultaneously operated, it is essential that the entire set ofconsonant type bars 29 be raised before the desired type bar 29 is movedforwardly to effect the printing. For this purpose the mechanism shownmore particularly in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, is employed. It willbe noted that as the shift key 45 is depressed the lower end of thedownwardly extending arm 48 of the lever 41 controlled thereby will bemoved rearwardly against the tension of its spring 32. This motion willbe communicated by the link 52 to the rocker member 54. When the rockermember 54 is thus actuated the pin 56 carried thereby will cause the cammember 58 to be rotated on the axis provided by the transverse shaft 59,and by reason of the peculiar shape of the cam surface 50, which engagesthe pin 6| carried by the link frame 23, the primary action will be toraise the entire bank of consonant type printing bars 29 to bring thelowermost set of type faces thereon to the printing position in thehorizontal plane passing through the axis of the platen. After the typebars 29 have thus been brought to the position whereby the lower set oftype faces 43 may be used to effect the printing, any further movementof the shift key will act merely to cause the cam surface 58 to moveidly with respect to the pin 6! carried by the link member 23, and whenthe cam 58 is so positioned with the dwell portion of the cam surface 60hearing against said pin 6| the printing action will be effected throughthe depression of the desired key. The operation otherwise issubstantially the same as when the upper set of type faces are inposition to be printed.

The operation of the vowel key mechanism will be readily understood by aconsideration of Figs. 7, 8 and 9 of the drawings. When either one ofthe control keys 14 or BI is depressed, the motion of the same will betransferred by levers 13 or 80, as the case may be, to its link I1, andthence directly to the type bar [0 to which said link 11 is connected.When the lever 13 is depressed, its arm 15 will move forward to actuateits type bar 10, and when this occurs, the intermediate lever will beswung about the pivot 83 at the bottom thereof, this action beingpermitted by reason of the provision of the enlarged aperture 94 at thetop through which the shaft 21 extends. However, the type bar 10 whichis directly controlled by the arm 15 of the lever 13 will be movedforwardly to a greater extent than the type bar controlled by the lever90, hence only -7 the type bar which is directly controlled by thelever1.3 will be imprinted.

On the other hand, whenever the lever 80 is depressed by the actuationof the .key 8|, the lever 90 will now be swung about the pivot 95 whenthe lower end of the arm 82 of lever .80 is moved forwardly and, hereagain, the type bar 10 directly controlled by the lever 80 will be theonly one to be imprinted by reason of it being advanced beyond the typebar In controlled by the intermediate lever 99.

When, however, both control keys 14 and BI are simultaneously depressed,the intermediate lever 90 will now be swung forward about the axis oftheshaft 21, as thesame will be moved in unison with the .arms 75 and 82of the levers 13 and 89, respectively, this by reason of being engagedat two different points by the pivot pins 83 and 95 carried by the leverarms 82 and 15 respectively.

However, as the location of the pivot 9| by means of which the link 93is connected to lever 99 is at a greater distance from the axis of theshaft 21, the type bar 70 to which the other end of link 93 is"connected will be moved forwardly a greater distance to make itsimpression on the paper passing over the platen without the other typefaces reaching the same.

It should be noted that the springs .32 which are used to return thevarious levers to their initial position are all separately adjustableso that the proper degree of tension may be obtained on each of saidsprings, this being accomplished by the rotation of the desired notcheddisc 34, and when the hook portion 33 thereof is brought to the properposition, it will be held in such position by the spring dent 31 of thecomb member 38.

Should the tension of a particular spring 32 be greater than is desiredfor the lever to which it is connected, said tension may be reduced bypushing the spring dent 3'! a sufficient distance to free the same fromthe notches of its disc 34, which will permit the disc 34 to be rotatedin an opposite direction to reduce the tension on said spring 32.

I claim:

1'. In a stenographic typewriter, a plurality of type bars each havingtwo type faces adapted to be selectively imprinted on paper passing overa cylindrical platen, one set of said type faces being initially .in theprinting .plane passing through the axis of theplaten, a series of keyoperated levers for selectively actuatin the type bars to effect theprinting action thereof, and means for shifting the said type bars tobring the other set of type faces into the printing plane, said meanscomprising a key operated control .l'ever, "a link pivotally connectedat one end "to said lever, a rocker member to which said link isconnected at its other end, a cam member engaged and actuable by saidrocker member, a frame for supporting the type bars, and a membercarried by said frame engaged by the cam surface of the cam memberthereby to move the frame to shift the type faces of the type bars, thecam surface being shaped to shift the type bars at the beginning of themovement of the control lever.

2. In a stenographlc typewriter, a plurality of type bars each havingtwo typefaces adapted to be selectively imprinted on paper passing ove acylindrical platen, one set of said type faces being initiallyin theprinting plane passing through the axis of the platen, .a series of keyoperated levers ifor'sele'ctively actuating the type bars to effect theprinting action therof, and means for shifting the .said type bars tobring the other set of typefaces into the printing plane, said meanscomprising a key operated control lever. a link pivotally connected atone end to said lever, a'rocker member to which said link is connected:at its other end, a cam member engaged and actuable by said rockermember, a frame for supporting the type bars, and a member carried bysaid frame engaged by the cam surface of the cam member thereby to movethe frame to shift the type faces .of the type bars, the cam surfacebeing shaped to shift the type bars at the beginning of the movement ofthe control lever and to permit the cam member to move idly after thetype bars are shifted.

HARRISON M. VON DUYKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 668,743 Stickney Feb. 26, 19011,005,780 Raber Oct. 10, 1911 1,164,056 Barr et a1 Dec. 14, 19151,843,929 Parker Feb. 9, 1932 2,334,693 Bastow Nov. 23, 19%3

